Welcome to the Never Lose Your Stuff Sweepstakes

In today's busy world, it feels like none of us have a chance to sit back and relax. Business meetings, school functions, and of course, running errands when time allows. With how busy our lives are, we don't have time for those little emergencies, especially when it is the loss of a cell phone, tablet, or heaven forbid, our purse! When our expensive, personal items disappear, we panic and think of the worst case scenario, when in actuality, it is likely laying where we left it or may have been picked up by a good Samaritan, having no clue how to get your valuable back to you. While name tags may have worked when we were kids, we really don't want strangers having our personal information. Wouldn't it be nice though if there was a way they could contact you without giving them such valuable information, allowing you to get your stuff back?

Luckily, something like this does exist - Bungee Virtual Lost and Found! So, what are Bungee Tags? Possibly the most brilliant idea out there! You see, these tags anonymously mark your property and when it's lost, someone can text the number listed on the tag and report the tag number. From there, Bungee facilitates a conversation between you and the person who found your stuff, via cell phone and/or email so that you can arrange a way to safely get your lost item. Best of all, it works anywhere in the world that has cell phone signal or internet!

To learn more about all of their amazing plans and how they can protect your important electronics and items, make sure to check out the Bungee website. They also set up an amazing deal for Moms, allowing you to save 50% off their coverage plans. Don't worry, you don't have to be a mom to take advantage of this exclusive offer, just make sure to use this following code at check out.

50% off Promo Code: MOMSRULE

As part of this awesome offer, Mom Powered Media and Bungee Virtual Lost & Found are working together to bring you this awesome giveaway! 1 lucky winner will receive a $100 VISA Gift Card and a 5 Year Family Bungee Pack ($95 value). Another 50 winners will win a 2 year Bungee plan ($19 value). To learn more, make sure to read the rules below and then enter through the Rafflecopter!

Never Lose Your Stuff Sweepstakes

One lucky reader will win a $100 VISA Gift Card AND Bungee Family Pack.

Disclosure: Mami's 3 Little Monkeys did not receive compensation for this giveaway, nor are they responsible for the fulfillment of the prize(s). Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest are in no way associated with this sweepstakes. Prize fulfillment will be handled by sponsor. Would you like to have your products featured in a giveaway event? Want to increase your social media exposure this holiday season? See how Mom Powered Media can help! Contact susan.l.bewley@gmail.com to see what we can do for your company!

Users sign up with their email address and zip/postal code to receive
the Wednesday newsletter to their inbox with a wide range of travel
deals. They can also specify their preference for Cruises, Gay &
Lesbian, Sport & Adventure, Luxury, Spas & Resorts, Romance,
Family, Skiing, or Golf travel deals.

Mardi
Gras is here and people all over the USA (not just in Louisiana) are
celebrating with parades and parties. The celebrations don't stop until
Tuesday, March 4th, so there is plenty of time for you to join in the
fun! To get you in the spirit, Sam and Sofia have sent you a Mardi Gras Float
to build. (Click on the link to get this wonderful arts and crafts
printout!) Maybe you could even gather a few friends and have a Little Passports parade of your own!

**The links in this post
are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a
purchase after clicking on my link.

There's a reason
Gatlinburg's famous for family fun. The magic is everywhere you look.
From the majestic Smoky Mountains to the countless thrilling
attractions, Gatlinburg's the town where good old fashioned family fun
never goes out of style.

Open to the following states: Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky & Florida

Driving connects us to our family, community, work and hobbies. And no
matter where we’re traveling, safety should always come first. AARP
Driver Safety is a nationwide initiative that offers educational
programs, tools and resources to help drivers stay safe on the road.
Learn how AARP Driver Safety can help you stay safe—and enter for a
chance to win $1,000—by developing your My Driving Plan today.

Once you register on AARP.org you’ll be able to easily enter other AARP Sweepstakes by just signing in!

Your ADT security system connects to our network of Customer
Monitoring Centers. Your home is monitored by an ADT security system, to
help protect your home, valuables and loved ones against burglary,
robbery and intruders. Your haven is armed with 24-hour-a-day
protection, 365 days a year. ADT is never more than a phone call away.

SeaBuck 7 is a natural supplement made in the U.S.A. for all breeds of horses, dogs, cats, cattle, and livestock. Made from the nutrient-rich Himalayan sea buckthorn berry, SeaBuck 7 is easily absorbed and has been proven in study after study to increase health, maintain an optimum weight, improve skin & coat, and even improve performance in the competitive arena. SeaBuck 7 will give them something they can feel and something you can see. Besides, pet or person, who doesn't want to be really healthy? Emilee from both Pea of Sweetness and Deals of Sweetness had a chance to review a few products from SeaBuck 7 for both her dog (an Italian Mastiff) and Maine Coon cat. She is always looking for products with natural ingredients that are good for her pets' health. Check out her review of SeaBuck 7 Pet Supplements for more!

Wouldn't you like to try natural supplements with the power of sea buckthorn berries for your pets? Here is a great giveaway for you! One winner will receive the Omega 7 Oil for Dogs & Cats and a Skin Relief Stick (ARV $49.90) This giveaway begins on 2/27 at 7pm and ends on 3/13 at 11:00pm (times are Central) and is open to US and Canada ages 18+. Please refer to the full terms and conditions in the Giveaway Tools.

Holiday Contest and Sweeps received a sample of the Double Infinity Wind Spinner
for review purposes. Gift and Garden USA will be responsible for awarding and the
shipping of the winners prize. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to the prize notification
email with the information requested. Failure to reply in that time frame will result in another
winner to be drawn and awarded the prize.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

For Valentine’s Day, I wanted to do something special for my girl friends. I’ve never been big into giving out cards, or roses, or anything for that matter when it comes to Valentine’s Day. I wanted to stick with something simple and pretty. If you’re hopelessly un-crafty, but you want to do something nice for the people you love this year, this candle making tutorial is just for you. Especially if your significant other is into natural health and/or likes pretty, good-smelling gifts. I made these candles for Valentine’s Day, but they can really work for every occasion.

What you’ll need

Believe me when I say, this project is about the easiest thing in the world. All you’ll need to start are:

some soy wax flakes

a glass container of your choice

a package of wicks

some essential oils

Everything but the essential oils can be found at your local craft store. (A side note on the essential oils, I didn’t really know where to start, but I found some great information on the RainShadow Labs website. They had a ton of choices and it was way, way, way less expensive than some of the other alternatives.)

Step 1: Microwave!

To start, place your soy wax flakes in a microwave-friendly bowl. I found a pound of flakes at the craft store, and it made four small candles and one medium-sized candle. We actually had to grab more containers to fill because we underestimated how much wax there would be, so be prepared. It goes a long way. A pound at the store cost about $8.

The instructions that came with our wax told us to nuke it in the microwave for thirty seconds, then check, and so on until it melted. It took about four minutes to melt the wax completely, and once we did, it looked like oil. I added some candle coloring that I found while gathering supplies, but that part’s not really necessary. If you do decide to color your candle, you can find liquid dyes, or wax blocks that you melt in with the soy wax (the only downsides to those is ours seemed to take a while to melt in, and the coloring suggestions on the box were way off).

Step 2: Add Your Scent (but not too much…)

Once your wax has melted, simply add 8-10 drops of whatever scent you’d prefer (remember, this is 8-10 drops per pound of wax. If you decide to do several scents and your divide up the wax, add fewer drops). I chose lavender to work with, because I thought it was a nice, soothing smell for a candle. Some other great ones might be cinnamon, eucalyptus, or lemon, if you want a fresh scent. Whatever scent you choose, don’t overdo it. You’ll end up smelling like lavender for days and then you might not even want to light the candle ever. Trust me.

Step 3: Pour and Cool

When you’ve added the scent, have someone hold the wick in the middle of the glass container you’ve chosen, and pour in the wax until there’s about half an inch of wick showing. The person holding the wick will have to hold it for a minute or two, until it can hold itself up. Then you simply wait for the wax to harden. For smaller containers, I’d say this part takes about 30-45 minutes. Though my husband did have success putting a few candles in the fridge to cool. Just don’t leave them there for longer than 15-20 minutes, or the wax will crack. This doesn’t really do anything to the candle except make it a little less pretty.

All in all, the entire project (with the help of my husband) took me less than an hour and cost me less than $20. Plus, I ended up with enough candles for my mom, my mother-in-law, two of my sisters, and me to take home for a happy Valentine’s Day! Now I just have to decide if I ever want to smell lavender again...

There has literally never been a better time to order from Tiny Prints.

If you're not familiar with their top-notch, classy stationery, you
should be. Whether you need birth announcements, graduation party or
baby shower invitations, photo iPad cases or notebooks, and any of your
personalized stationery needs, Tiny Prints has it all.

All of their products are customized to your needs. You choose the
photos and text to add to their awesome designs and then...you impress
the recipients.

Oh and the part about there never being a better time? That's because
their birthday is this week and from now through March 4th, they are
giving you the gift of 30% OFF EVERYTHING! That's their best deal of the
year.

Visit them now and choose from any of their products and when you check out, use the promo code BDAY10 to save 30%.

We received an amazing package of products from B&G Foods'
including Mrs. Dash's marinades and seasonings, Ortega Whole Grain Taco
shells, a jar of salsa and guacamole as well as Grandma's Molasses. As
some of you probably know Jedilynn and I love to bake so the Grandma's Molasses
is awesome! After receiving the jar of molasses I did some recipe
searching and discovered that it can be used in so many more things then
I had previously known!!

Grandma's Molasses

Molasses dates back to 1493 when Columbus introduced it to the West Indies. Grandma's Molasses is America's #1 brand of molasses. It is made with the highest grade, pure sugarcane molasses which is unsulfured and 100% natural. It does not contain preservatives, artificial flavor or artificial color. Grandma's Molasses is the secret ingredient to baking... wait I guess it's not so secret if your reading this.Grandma's Molasses is Kosher
and gluten free and a nutritious alternative to refined sugar.

Grandma's Molasses can be used for a variety of things including cookies, pies, cakes, glazes and my favorite gingerbread! It is also often used in slow-cooked dishes such as BBQ sauce baked beans.

There are tons of delicious recipes on Grandma's Molasses website.These recipes include not only a variety of baked goods, but also some meal dishes as well.

Ortega was started back in the 1800's by Maria Conception Jacinta Dominquez Ortega also known as Mama Ortega. She had 13 children, her and her family lived in a small three room adobe, she created their home around a tiny kitchen. She had only a small charcoal-burning stove where she whipped up memorable meals for her family, which they loved. Everything she used in each meal was homegrown, handpicked and handmade, from the juicy red tomatoes for her sauces to the corn she patted into tortillas and everything else in between Mama prepared for her family was fresh. In Mama's kitchen a little more then just her natural and fresh meals were prepare, this is where her 11th child, Emilio, established the Ortega Chile Packing Company. Creating the first commercial food operation in the state of California.

We were pleased to receive this package of Ortega products as tacos are a huge hit in our home. I wish I had the resources that Mama Ortega had so I could create our taco diners completely from scratch. We love tacos and have them probably at least once every other week, if not more often! We love to explore through the taco seasoning section and try out different brands and flavors. Tacos are quick, easy, delicious and who doesn't love a good taco?

We actually took the salsa and guacamole to a party we had attended and everyone loved both. I'm not a fan of either so unfortunately I can't give you a taste testers word on either. I can and will honestly say that the taco shells were perfect! Dan only eats "soft" tacos, but the boys loved having these whole grain tacos with me. I even like to crunch up a hard shell taco and make nachos with it. Simply delicious!

Mrs. Dash products are the salt free alternatives for spicing up your favorite meals. Mrs. Dash offers blends, seasoning packets and marinades which contain a multitude of spices. They listened to the request of their consumers and products these delicious all natural and salt free seasonings and marinades. You can enjoy Mrs. Dash products which each meal for everyday of the week as there are no two spice blends, marinades or seasoning packets that are alike.

Prior to receiving this package from B&G Foods' we had not tried Mrs. Dash products. Also, these were the first marinades I have ever used! I was kind of nervous, but so pleased with them! The first marinade we used was the Garlic Herb, I knew we would like this one. I marinated some pork chops for a little while before cooking them and then I grilled them in my grill pan and made a side of garlic butter and broccoli noodles. They were absolutely delicious!!

Soon after we discovered that the Garlic Herb Marinade was so delicious I made some more pork chops with the Lemon Pepper Marinade! This time instead of grilling them up, all I had to do was put the pork chops and the marinade into my pressure cooker. Let them cook for 15 minutes and ta-dah! Done!

So tender and juicy! You didn't even need a butter knife for these as they just "fell apart".

As you can see in this photo where I tried to pick the pork chops up off the one plate onto my plate and from being so tender they just kept falling apart. Anyhow, I made cheddar and broccoli corkscrew noodles with these. Again, absolutely delicious dinner!

I've used the seasonings on some foods I've cooked just randomly. Whatever sounded good on what I was making. We haven't been disappointed just yet! Before receiving these all I really had in the kitchen for seasonings were seasoning salt, sazon and adobo. While I do really like all three of those, it is nice to switch it up every now and then and get some new tastes/flavors into our meals.

We have been so pleased with all of the products we received from B&G Foods and continue to purchase them from our local grocery store! I have to say Mrs. Dash Marinades are definitely a new dinner "addiction" of mine. They make delicious yet simple dinners.

Squishy Baby Diaper Co. specializes in bamboo fitted cloth diapers. With their of making every baby comfortable while diapering them in natural and absorbent fibers!

Apple Green OBF

One Size Apple Green OBF Fitted Cloth Diaper ($28ARV) fit babies from approximately 8 pounds up to 35 pounds. They were created to be a soft and absorbent as well as long lasting and squishy diaper. This diaper is made with 2 layers of Organic Bamboo Fleece (OBF) as the shell with a layer of Organic Bamboo Velour (OBV) as the inner layer which goes against baby's bum for the ultimate softness.Turned and top stitches with a coordinating thread makes the elastic casings soft and gently hugs baby's thighs, this is to prevent red marks and irritation to baby's skin. This diaper is also made with a 4X2 snap down rise which allows a custom fit to your baby no matter their age or shape. With the cross over wings you can get a nice snug fit on even teeny tiny newborn bellies.

Doublers

Each Squishy Baby Diaper comes with 3 lay-in doublers. Going off of my photo above, the doublers from left to right. All the way to the left is the contoured doubler which is made with 3 layers of super heavy organic bamboo fleece and is the bottom layer doubler. The small tear dropped shaped doubler next to it is the "middle wet zone double" and is also made with super heavy organic bamboo fleece. The one to the right of that is the "top contour doubler" which is made with 2 layers of super heavy organic bamboo fleece and one top layer of organic bamboo velor for ultimate softness against baby's skin. These three doublers make 12 very thirsty layers of bamboo making this a great diaper for heavy wetters and even those who struggle to find a night time solution, which is actually what Alicia kept in mind while designing this diaper.

Towards the front for diapering a boy.

I love the small tear drop shaped doubler as you can place it towards the front of the diaper if you have a little boy or in the middle if you have a little girl, allowing you to fully customize the absorbency of this diaper! Place the soaker in the wet zone for your child, not where it is sewn in and can't be adjusted.

In the middle for diapering a girl.

Super easy to customize and get the best absorbency from this diaper! One of my favorite for nap and bedtime due to this feature in the soakers!

I also received an additional doubler booster which is the rounded rectangular one which is laid on top in the photo above. We usually do not need to use all four doublers, however we do sometimes if Ezio has had a lot to drink, just for added protection, plus the diaper really isn't all that bulky even with all four doublers in the diaper.

Above is an example of the diaper with all four of the doublers inside. Not too bulky at all, especially for how absorbent and squishy this diaper is!

Fit & Our Thoughts

Ezio is two year old and just under thirty pounds as well as thirty inches tall. This diaper fits him perfectly, even around his chubby little thighs! Since using this diaper a few times I have found that I can reduce the bulk in the front of the diaper if I snap the rise snaps down one, although as you can see we still get a good fit either way. The waist snaps can cross over, however I tend to give him a little more leeway in the belly area as he does have a little buddha belly, especially when he sits down so comfort is in my mind while putting diapers on him.

I think my jaw may have dropped to the floor when I pulled this organic bamboo fitted diaper out of the package and felt how unbelievably soft and squishy it was! I knew right away that it would definitely be more then absorbent enough. I'm pretty certain that if the wings were a bit longer and it would fit nicely on Cade, my heavy wetter three year old son, that it would most definitely hold up for him overnight! Ezio has worn this diaper for nap and bedtime as well as during the day. I have never needed to use a cover with diaper and even with only one or two soakers in the diaper for daytime use it's not even soaked through the doublers by the time I change him. He could probably wear this ONE diaper ALL day long and hardly dampen the outer of the shell. I've also discovered that I could probably just take out the wet doubler and put a clean/dry one in and he could wear this one diaper through out the day that way as well, however, I'm not quite sure how hygienic that would be... on the other hand wouldn't that be similar to using a prefold and cover? I'm not sure and with his sensitive skin and eczema, I don't want to risk it just yet, I'm still loving this diaper!

I absolutely love the absorbency of this fitted diaper as well as the fact that it is made with all organic bamboo fibers, which is all perfect for his skin as well as all other babies delicate skin. The adjust-ability/customization you're able to do with the doublers is also a huge plus!

GIVEAWAY!Enter for your chance to win a OS Apple Green OBF Fitted Cloth Diaper from Squishy Baby Diaper Co.! Open to US residents whom are at least 18 years of age. This giveaway will end on March 11th at 11:59pm CST. Simply complete as many or as few entries in the entry form below for your chance to win. Please note, winning entry will be verified, winner will be chosen at random and notified via email in which the winner will have 48hrs to respond to or a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I received the above product in exchange for my honest review, all opinions and experiences are 100% my own and may differ from those of your own. I am not responsible for the fulfillment of this prize.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Yolie began creating homemade Easy Bake Oven baking mixes over four years ago. She began by selling them for local children because the prepackaged mixes are quite expensive. Yolie makes all of her mixes in her own kitchen at home and they are made to order with fresh ingredients and no preservative. With these wonderful mixes parents can save money, enjoy more delicious treats that their own children bake for them and they are healthier for us and our children. When nearing upcoming holiday's you can find themed packages for those holidays, such as out Valentine's Day package!

Valentine's Day Easy Bake Oven Homemade Cake Mixes!

We received this cute package of 10 homemade Easy Bake Oven mixes ($18.50AR)! In this package there were 2 Valentine's Day themed pencils, a sucker, a couple foam heats, a gift bag for giving the delicious treats that were baked to a loved one of friend in, a Valentine's Day Card and last but definitely not least, 5 frosting mixes with little candy toppings and 5 cake or cupcake baking mixes. The baking mixes yield 12 cupcakes or 2 cakes. All of the mixes are packaged in their own little sealed zipper closed bags that are labeled and have the mixing and baking directions right on the back of the labels! No large instruction sheets to try and wrestle with and all of the little baggies reseal, unlike those bought from the store.

The first cakes Jedilynn made were the Chocolate Delight Cakes, which are super simple! Just add the amount of water that is stated on the back of the little label card and stir! Jedilynn is 8 years old and was able to read the instructions and measure out her water independently.

She stirred the mix on her own and just wanted a little help getting some out of the cracks before putting her mix in the pan. Once the mix is stirred it will form a soft dough like consistency. You butter up your little pan lightly, Jedilynn asked me to do this for the first pan so I showed her a little trick. I put a little butter on my finger and rubbed it through out the pan and along the sides, super easy and a great way to make sure you haven't used too much butter as you only want/need a light layer.

Looks delicious! This was half of the cake mix, the package makes 2 cakes or 12 cupcakes. Jedilynn really wanted to make cupcakes, but unfortunately we do not have a cupcake pan for her Easy Bake Oven just yet. To make spreading the mixture into the pan a little easier I showed Jedilynn another trick. We were using a plastic spoon so I lightly coated the spoon in butter (use can also use oil), this made it so much easier to spread the mixture along the pan as it did not stick to the spoon. While showing her this trick I also discovered that my odd daughter apparently likes just plain butter as she decided to scoop up butter with her finger and lick it off. So weird!

Ta-Dah! Delicious Chocolate Delight Cake is complete! Smells awesome and we can't wait to taste it!! We took it out of the Easy Bake Oven and let it cool in the pan for a few minutes, once the pan was cool enough for me to firmly grasp with a bare hand I allowed her to frost her cake.

To make the frosting you just add butter and water to the powder and stir, she did so while waiting for her cake to bake. When she went to start frosting her cake she wanted to smear butter on the spoon, she was catching onto mommy's trick, but the frosting didn't need any help coming off of the spoon. After she frosted her cake, I carefully slid a butter knife under the cake and very carefully slipped it out of the pan so she could bake her next cake. I think I did a pretty good job of this if you see the photo above. Jedilynn used the vanilla frosting with the little hard candy hearts and she did decorate her cakes with them, but my camera had died. I use it way too much and don't charge the battery often enough.

She gave one of her cakes to her uncle and the other one to daddy. I tried a small piece of daddy's cake and it is delicious! Tastes like a "normal" sized chocolate cake would! Daddy loves chocolate cake, so this was perfect for him! Uncle was here waiting for Dan to give him a ride to work so it was a nice little surprise for him just before having to go to work after a long in high school. She has some great men in her life who definitely praise her for her great work in baking delicious treats for them.

Jedilynn loves her baking mixes from Build A Cake Bake Shop and I love the absolutely amazing amount and price you get it all for!

Comparison!

Jedilynn received a few of these packages from family and friend for her birthday which were picked up before I was able to mention that I found the awesome Etsy shop - Build A Cake Bake Shop. These packages are roughly $7-8 depending on where you get them from and sometimes they may be on sale. This package is Chocolate Truffles (which you can make with Build A Cake Bake Shop mixes!), it contains a large instruction sheet which can be overwhelming and confusing for children and even adults, 2 devils food cake mixes, 2 chocolate frosting mixes and two multicolored sprinkles packs. Eight dollars for only two mixes.

Build A Cake Bake Shop's 10 mix package that we received came with everything in the first photo below the introduction at the top of this post. Which is 5 cake mixes, 5 frosting and topping mixes as well as a bunch of neat little stuff for Valentine's Day. This package that we received retails for $18.50, making each thing you make (cake, frosting and toppings) only $3.70!!

So would you rather $8 - Easy Bake Oven Mixes

OR

$3.70 - Build A Cake Bake Shop delicious Mixes?!

Personally, I'm stoked to order some more mixes from Build A Cake Bake Shop! I have told family about it and they have said they will be buying from Build A Cake Bake Shop in the future as well! In all honesty, I personally prefer the taste of the mixes we received from Build A Cake Bake Shop over the store bought Easy Bake Oven mixes.

SHOP, BAKE & ENJOY!

Visit Build A Cake Bake Shop on Etsy and check out all of her delicious mixes! You can customize your order with which flavors yourself or your child would prefer. If you don't want to start with a set of 10 mixes there are smaller packages available.

Disclosure: We received the above products in exchange for our honest review, all opinions and experiences are 100% our own and may differ from those of your own. This review was in no way sponsored or endorsed by Easy Bake Oven, my daughter received that product as a birthday gift.